Electric car statistics - data and projections

As interest in electric vehicles continues to grow, so too do the questions from drivers weighing the switch. To help make sense of the market, we’ve compiled the latest electric vehicle data — from sales figures to charging infrastructure — offering a snapshot of where EVs stand in 2025 and what’s fuelling their rising popularity.

What are the Key Electric Vehicle Statistics in 2025?

• Are electric cars selling well in the UK? UK EV sales hit a record high in 2024, with 381,970 electric cars sold — the strongest year to date.
• Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 19.6% of all new car registrations in the UK. Petrol remained the dominant fuel type, taking a 52.2% market share.
• Price parity is beginning to shift: one in five BEVs now retail for less than the average petrol or diesel car in the UK.
• The average price of an EV in the UK is £49,790 — the average price of a petrol car is £34,225. 
• Charging times vary, but a typical 7kW home charger will fully charge an electric car in around eight hours.
• 'Rapid' 50kW chargers — now widely available — can add 100 miles of range in roughly 35 minutes.
• Greater London leads the way on infrastructure, with 22,211 public charge points as of early 2025.
• The rollout of high-speed charging is accelerating: the number of rapid and ultra-rapid public chargers in the UK has jumped by nearly 45% since May 2023.
• The Nissan Leaf, launched in 2011, was the first EV to break into the mainstream. Early models offered around 100 miles of range.
• The Mercedes-Benz EQS had the longest maximum EV range in 2024, covering up to 452 miles on a single charge.
• The Tesla Model Y was the world's best-selling EV, with over one million units delivered globally.
• In total, 17.1 million electric vehicles were sold worldwide in 2024 — a new record.
• Europe alone is forecast to reach 6.3 million EV sales by the end of 2025.

Electric Cars in 2025: Global Overview and Forecast

Electric vehicle sales remained resilient in 2024, building on the momentum of the previous year. More than 17 million EVs were sold globally — a rise of over 20% compared to 2023 — as demand continued to climb in key markets.

In total, nearly one in five new cars sold worldwide last year was electric. To put that growth into perspective, global EV sales in 2024 were more than six times higher than in 2018.

That momentum has carried into 2025. January figures showed EVs outperforming the broader market, even as overall car sales declined. In the UK, total registrations fell by 2.5% year-on-year – largely due to weakening petrol and diesel demand – while BEV sales surged more than 41%.

Europe followed a similar pattern. Across the continent, BEV sales jumped 37.3% in the opening month of the year, despite a 2.1% dip in total new car registrations.

How Many Electric Cars are Made Each Year?

In 2025, it's estimated that over 20 million electric cars will be sold globally. If that happens, EVs will account for around a quarter of all car sales worldwide in 2025.

In terms of production, 17.3 million EVs were built worldwide in 2024. China accounted for more than 70% of global EV production. 10 million EVs were sold in China in 2024, accounting for over 60% of estimated global sales.

What Percentage of Cars are Electric?

19.6% of cars sold in the UK in 2024 were EVs.

How many electric cars in the world? Globally, EVs captured just over 20% of the new car market last year.

Latest EV News

UK Drivers Offered Discounts up to £3,750 for EVs

From 16 July, UK motorists can expect to see prices on some electric vehicles dip, as the government rolls out a new grant aimed at accelerating the shift to greener transport.

The £650 million Electric Car Grant will offer discounts of up to £3,750 on qualifying models, with eligibility limited to EVs priced under £37,000 and meeting strict sustainability standards. The most environmentally friendly vehicles will benefit from the largest discounts.

The scheme will run for three years.

The Impact of Trump's Tariffs on Electric Vehicles

In the United States, President Donald Trump has announced a 25% tariff on all imported vehicles — this is separate to broader trade levies applied to goods from countries including the UK, EU, Canada, and China.

The tariffs means that the price of imported EVs for US buyers could rise as dealerships pass on the increased costs. 

In response, the UK government is easing short-term pressure on the auto industry by relaxing electric vehicle sales targets. Under current rules, 28% of all new cars sold in 2025 must be zero-emission, but carmakers will now have more flexibility in how they meet that target. For example, they may offset underperformance this year by exceeding targets in future years.

The UK still plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030. However, the revised strategy allows hybrid models to remain on sale until 2035, designed to smooth the industry’s transition.

BYD's Super e-Platform

Chinese automaker BYD has introduced a new fast-charging system it claims could revolutionise the EV charging experience. Dubbed the ‘Super e-Platform’, the system promises to charge an electric vehicle in roughly the same time it takes to fill a petrol tank. If proven, BYD's charger could remove one of the key remaining barriers to mass EV adoption.

The platform reportedly delivers charging speeds of up to 1,000 kW, enabling a range boost of 249 miles in just five minutes. That’s twice the output of Tesla’s current Superchargers, which peak at 500 kW. BYD founder Wang Chuanfu described the new system as the first in the industry to achieve megawatt-level charging.

The new charger will initially be compatible with the Han L sedan and Tang L SUV. BYD also announced plans to build a proprietary charging network across China, with more than 4,000 charging stations slated for rollout.

The UK's EV Fast-Charging Network 

A 2024 report found that relying exclusively on public fast chargers in the UK adds, on average, $1,000 (£766) in annual costs compared to running a petrol car. In contrast, charging at home can save drivers between $510 (£390) and $1,200 (£919) per year.

As EV adoption accelerates, so too does the demand on infrastructure. The UK’s BEV fleet is projected to surge from 1.3 million at the start of 2025 to 7 million by 2030, and further to 22 million by 2040. Meeting that demand would require a sevenfold increase in electricity capacity at ultra-fast charging points by the end of the decade.

Local authorities are already bracing for the challenge. Lancashire County Council, for example, estimates it will need eight times more public EV charge points by 2030. As of July 2024, just 817 were in operation; an additional 6,665 will be required to keep pace with projected uptake.

Usage data from March 2025 highlights the growing reliance on public infrastructure. Around 2 million drivers are now using public EV chargers each month in the UK, with 60% of sessions taking place at rapid (50kW+) or ultra-rapid (150kW+) charging stations.

Want to know how much your road tax will be for your EV in 2025? Check out our guide to the latest VED car tax rates.

New Electric Car Sales in 2024

Global EV sales grew by 25% in 2024. In total, more than 17 million EVs were sold worldwide.

China was the largest market - in November 2024, it accounted for 70% of EV sales globally for the month.

At the start of 2024, the Chinese market accounted for approximately 50% of all EVs globally. With combined sales of over half a million units, BYD ATTO 3, BYD Dolphin, and GAC Aion S were some of the most popular models among Chinese consumers that year.  

In the UK, over 1.9 million new cars were registered in 2024 – of these, 381,970 were EVs. To get more detail, our guide to car sales stats explains all. 

• Electric car sales increased by 21.4% in 2024 in the UK.
• EV sales are now second only to petrol cars in the UK.
• China remained the world’s largest EV market in 2024. 
• More than one in ten new vehicles sold in 2024 were electric-powered.
• Seven electric car manufacturers, including Volvo, Mercedes, and Nissan, announced plans to make their vehicles compatible with Tesla’s supercharging network. 

Used Electric Car Sales

• The value of second-hand Tesla, Ford, and GM EVs in the US decreased by 28% in 2023. 
• In the US, EVs lose around 49.5% of the value after 3 years. The industry average (with ICE cars) is 42%.
• Volkswagen EVs were the most popular in the UK's used electric car market. 
• Used BEV sales increased by nearly 100% in Q3 of 2023 in the UK to over 34,000.  BEVs accounted for 1.8% of the used car market in the quarter, up from 1.0% at the same point in 2022.

How many used electric cars were sold in 2024?

Demand for used electric cars is growing. In Q3 2024, used EVs recorded a largest ever market share of the UK's used car market at 2.7%, with transactions increasing by 57% in the quarter.

• 118,973 used all-electric vehicles were sold in the UK in 2023. That number will likely be higher in 2024 as more EVs are on the UK's roads.
• Hybrid vehicles were more popular than pure electric vehicles in the UK’s used EV market, as 221,859 second-hand hybrids changed hands in the UK compared to 118,973 pure electric models.

Electric Car Sales UK

EV sales in the UK have steadily risen in recent years. 381,970 EVs were sold in the UK in 2024, a record number and a 21.4% increase over 2023 sales. 

In 2025, manufacturers will need to meet the UK government's target of 28% of all vehicle sales being zero emission, or risk having to pay fines. However, the government has relaxed the targets in response to US tariffs – manufacturers can shift sales out over the next few years.

UK EV Car Sales in 2025

The UK's EV market continued the strong 2024 performance in January 2025. In a month where the overall car market shrank 2.5% compared to 2024, EV sales were up 41.6% - a total of 29,634 EVs were sold in the month.

This trend continued in February 2025, where BEV sales increased by 41.7% YoY while the overall new car market dropped by 1.0%. 21,244 EVs were sold in February, accounting for 1 in 4 new car sales for the month. March 2025 saw 69,313 BEV registrations, a 42.3% increase year-on-year. 

Electric Cars UK Sales 2024

• Overall in 2024, EVs commanded a 19.6% market share of new car registrations in the UK.
• 167,096 fully electric cars were sold in the UK in the first 6 months of 2024, 9.2% more than in the same period in 2023. This is alongside 81,522 PHEVs and 137,838 HEVs.
• The Tesla Model Y was the most popular EV in the UK in 2024, with 32,862 sales. Sales were almost twice the number of the second most popular EV, the Audi Q4 e-tron.
• EV sales were up 18.8% in July, commanding almost two-fifths of the UK new car sales market for the month.
• September 2024 saw a record number of BEV registrations in the UK - 56,387.

What is the best-selling EV in the UK 2024?

The Tesla Model Y is currently the best-selling EV in the UK. 32,862 were sold in 2024, making it the fifth most-popular new car overall in the UK.

What percentage of UK car sales are electric?

In 2024, electric cars made up 19.6% of all new car sales in the UK. 381,970 were sold in 2024, a 21.4% increase from 2023. Together with PHEVs (8.6%) and HEVs (13.4%), cars with an electric motor account for 43.4% of UK's new car sale market.

EV Sales UK - The 10 Best-Selling EVs in 2024

1. Tesla Model Y (32,862)
2. Audi Q4 e-tron (17,622)
3. Tesla Model 3 (17,425)
4. MG4 (15,561)
5. BMW i4 (12,953)
6. Mercedes-Benz EQA (11,617)
7. Skoda Enyaq (11,516)
8. Hyundai KONA (10,858)
9. Volvo EX30 (9,931)
10. Volkswagen ID.4 (8,927)

The 10 Best-Selling EVs in 2023

1. Tesla Model Y (35,899)
2. MG4 (21,715)
3. Audi Q4 e-tron (16,757)
4. Tesla Model 3 (13,536)
5. Polestar 2 (12,542)
6. Volkswagen ID.3 (10,295)
7. Kia Niro EV (10,084)
8. BMW i4 (8940)
9. Volkswagen ID.4 (8495)
10. Skoda Enyaq (8136)

The 10 Best-Selling EVs in 2022

The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling electric car in 2022, replacing the Tesla Model 3 which lead the way in 2021. Below are the 10 best electric cars 2022 in terms of sales:

1. Tesla Model Y (35,551)
2. Tesla Model 3 (19,071)
3. Kia e-Niro (11,197)
4. VW ID.3 (9832)
5. Nissan Leaf (9178)
6. MINI Electric (7425)
7. Polestar 2 (7345)
8. MG5 (7030)
9. BMW i4 (6699)
10. Audi Q4 e-tron (6594)

What percentage of UK cars are electric?

At the start of 2025, EVs make up roughly 4% of all vehicles registered in the UK. There are around 34 million cars on UK roads, of which around 1.3 million are EVs.

In 2024, EVs had a 19.6% market share of UK new car sales. That's a total of 381,970 vehicles, a 21.4% increase compared to the same period in 2023.

How many electric car charging stations are there in the UK?

At the start of 2025, there were 73,699 EV charging points in the UK. These provide 108,410 electric car charging connectors. 

EV charging infrastructure in the UK is growing at a rapid rate, with new charging points being added daily. The scope of the nation’s electric car charging network increased by 37% between December 2023 and December 2024.

How many electric car charging locations are there in the UK?

There are 37,011 charging locations in the UK at the start of 2025. This number includes devices that are classed as slow (3-7kW), fast (8-49kW), rapid (50-149kW) and ultra-rapid (150kW). 

Currently, the UK has 7,021 ultra-rapid charging points. The vast majority of charging points are 'slow' - 41,904 are available in the UK.

In addition, EV drivers can park and charge their cars at private locations through platforms like YourParkingSpace.co.uk. It currently has over 5,000 private spaces at 1,736 locations on its platform for EV drivers. There are an estimated 700,000 private electric charging locations in the UK, installed either at home or a workplace. 

How much does it cost to install an electric car charger in the UK?

It costs around £1,000 for EV owners in the UK to install a 7kW fast charger in their home, or approximately £650 including the charger and the labour cost if they’re eligible for the government grant. The cost of trenching (installing cables underground) is £30 per meter or more, depending on the terrain. A 3kW slow charger is a more affordable option as its average home installation price ranges between £250 and £500. 

How much does it cost to charge an electric car in the UK?

The cost of charging an electric car is approximately £5 per 100 miles, provided that the cost of electricity is 18p per kWh and that the vehicle can travel at least 3.5 miles per kWh. Fully charging an EV with a 60 kWh battery at home costs approximately £17, while recharging at a supermarket or a car park costs approximately £26. The rapid charging service costs around £19 for a 30-minute charge. Most EV owners in the UK can use charging stations installed at their work for free. 

How much does it cost to replace an electric car battery in the UK?

Despite projections indicating that their prices should continue to decrease in 2024, batteries remain among the most expensive electric car components. Replacing an electric car battery in the UK cost roughly £109.25 per kWh or £7,235 in 2024.

Fortunately, most EV owners won’t have to replace their car’s battery during their vehicle’s lifespan due to their longevity. 

Is it a good time to buy an EV?

EV market growth is expected to accelerate in the coming years as the UK prepares itself for the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel vehicle sales. Following a big investment in the UK’s charging infrastructure, and with a greater range of EVs available than ever before, we think there has never been a better time to buy a new or used EV. 

In 2024 EVs outsold every type of fuel except petrol, which is set to remain the most popular fuel choice for both new and used car buyers for the next few years. Diesel is expected to become a niche choice over time as drivers opt for cleaner and cheaper plug-in alternatives.

Supporting increasing UK EV sales has been the expanding range of electric vehicles on sale, with manufacturers scrambling to offer as many models as possible with plug-in variants. 

Carmakers like Nissan, Tesla, Ford and Vauxhall have all expanded their model line ups to include affordable plug-in models and EVs. Premium carmaker Volkswagen has gone one step further and created the electric-only ID. range while Mercedes-Benz has created its innovative Mercedes-EQ models.

International EV Statistics

• It's estimated that around 17 million EVs will be sold worldwide in 2024.
• In 2024, over 40% of new cars sold in China were electric.
• In 2023, more than 250,000 EVs were registered every week around the world.

Electric Cars in Europe Statistics

Europe is one of the largest markets for EVs, with 6.7 million being sold on the continent in 2023. BEVs were the third most popular choice among European EV buyers, partly driven by a rapid increase in available models - buyers in the EU in 2018 had a choice of just 29 models. In 2023, that number had increased to 371, a 1179% increase in just 5 years.

In 2024, BEVs accounted for 13.6% of roughly 10.6 million cars sold in Europe. 

January 2025 saw Tesla - one of Europe's most popular EV brands - sales decline in key markets. In France, Tesla sales were down 63% in January YoY, while in Germany they fell 59%. In the UK, sales were down nearly 8% in the first month of 2025.

VW sold the most EVs in Europe in Q1 2025, beating the likes of Tesla. The German carmaker sold over 65,000 BEVs in the first quarter of the year, with sales growing 157% year-on-year. Meanwhile, Tesla sales declined 38%, with 53,237 cars sold on the continent.

• EV sales fell by 1.2% in 2024 across Europe.
• The European plug-in electric vehicle market grew by 15% between 2021 and 2022.
• Hybrid electric car registrations rose by 26% in December due to large increase in registrations of these vehicles in Europe’s largest markets, Germany (+38%), France (32.6%) and Spain (24.3%).
• 1.5 million battery electric cars were sold in the EU in 2023, while 2.7 million hybrid-electric vehicles were sold during the same period. 
• The Tesla Model Y remained Europe’s most popular electric car in 2024. 
• The average price of an EV across Europe is around €46,000. The average range is about 346 miles.
• BEV market share has increased across the EU in the first 4 months of 2025. BEVs accounted for 15.3% of new car registrations in January-April 2025, up from 12% over the same period in 2024.

What is the top selling EV in Europe 2025?

In Q1 2025, the best-selling EV in Europe was the Tesla Model Y. This is despite Tesla sales falling overall in the European market (down 38% compared to Q1 2024) and the US carmaker facing fierce competition from VW – EV sales for the German carmaker increased by 157% compared to Q1 2024.

In Q1 2025, the top 5 EV models were (number of registrations):

• Tesla Model Y (29,770)
• Tesla Model 3 (23,044)
• Volkswagen ID.4 (21,025)
• Volkswagen ID.7 (18,770)
• Kia EV3 (18,484)

Norway Electric Car Statistics

Electric vehicles are hugely popular in Norway, predicted to reach 95% market share in 2024. 

• Norway’s EV market is expected to generate $11.2 billion in 2024. 
• 81.6% of all new vehicles registered in Norway in 2023 were BEVs. 
• There were 689,196 electric passenger vehicles and 29,612 light commercial electric vehicles in Norway at the end of 2023. 
• It is predicted that the country will reach 100% zero-emission car sales by 2025. 

Electric Cars in the US

• The EV market in the US is expected to be worth $82.4 billion by the end of 2024. 
• 7.6% of all cars sold in the US in 2023 were electric. 
• Currently, there are approximately 2.88 million EVs on the roads in the US, which is around 1% of all vehicles on the nation’s roads. 
• 1.28 million EV units are forecasted to be sold in the US during 2024. This number should increase to 2.46 million units by 2028. 
• The US EV market is the second largest in the world. 
• The total number of electric vehicles registered in the US was 2.44 million in 2024 - about 0.86% of all registered cars in the country.
• Tesla controls a 56.53% share of the US EV market. 
• 35% of all new electric cars in the US were registered in California. 
• 1.179 million all-electric cars were sold in California in Q4 2023 - it was the most popular state for EVs.
• 105,258 electric vehicles were sold in the United States in January 2024. 

Electric Cars in China 

China's EV market is one of the largest in the world. 2025 EV revenue is expected to reach $377.4 billion, with the market's annual growth rate predicted at 2.51% between 2025 and 2029. Chinese car makers are rapidly expanding into new markets and quickly becoming the preferred choice for many buyers – BYD overtook Tesla as the world's most popular EV brand in 2024.

• EVs and plug-in hybrids (collectively known as New Energy Vehicles) made up 50.8% of the 1.78 million cars sold in China in April 2025.
• China's EV market grew 38.2% in 2024.
• BYD is the most popular EV brand in China, delivering more than 3.5 million cars domestically in 2024.
• Between 2009-2023, it's estimated that China spent around $231 billion (about £172 billion) developing its EV industry

Electric Car Safety Statistics

• Less than 1% of all car fires are electric vehicle fires. 
• Thermal runaway within the battery is one of the most common causes of electric car fires. 
• 20% of fires reported in the United States in 2019 were electric vehicle or internal combustion engine vehicle fires. 
• Hybrid cars are more likely to catch fire than electric or ICE vehicles.
• A passenger EV battery has 0.0012% chance of catching fire. 
• Putting out an electric car fire can take over five hours. 
• Over 80 people have died in Tesla car fire incidents since 2014. 

How do electric vehicles work?

Electric cars are battery-powered vehicles that run on electricity 100% of the time. Unlike petrol, diesel or hybrid vehicles, EVs do not have a combustion engine; instead, they use an electric motor and a rechargeable battery.

As with petrol and diesel cars, the advertised range of an EV varies depending on driving style. Weather conditions also impact their range, along with the use of in-car heating and air conditioning. 

A typical electric car will travel over 200 miles on a single charge, while premium models like the Tesla Model S or the Polestar 2 are capable of covering around 300 miles before you need to recharge. The Mercedes EQS claims to manage 452 miles on a single charge.

EVs feature smart energy recovery technology, which automatically tops up the battery by converting kinetic energy into electricity (when braking or travelling down a hill).

Recharging the battery is usuallyy a lengthy process – most EVs require eight or nine hours for a full charge from a 7kW wall box. However, many have a 'rapid charge' function that uses a higher voltage to charge the battery to 80% of its charge in around 40 minutes. Some models feature a heat pump that helps to heat the car in winter without impacting on the battery and range.

What are the different types of electric vehicles?

There are 3 main types of electric vehicle:

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs or just EVs): These cars are powered by an electric battery only and typically have a range of 100 - 200 miles - this average is increasing every year as manufacturers release more models.

Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs): Unlike EVs, plug-in hybrid cars are powered by a combination of electricity and fossil fuel (petrol or diesel). PHEVs have a smaller battery than pure electric cars, which means they have a maximum EV range of 15 - 30 miles. When the battery is empty the combustion engine will power the vehicle until the battery is recharged again.

Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs): Hybrid vehicles can only be driven a few miles on pure electricity. A hybrid car has no plug, instead, it recovers energy under braking and uses it to recharge its battery on the move. Most of the power comes an internal combustion engine.

What is the cheapest electric car?

The Citroen Ami is the cheapest electric car in 2024, starting at £7,695. Models like Smart EQ Fortwo and BYD Dolphin are available for over £20,000. The MG ZS EV is the most affordable electric SUV in 2024. 

How much pollution do electric cars produce?

Electric cars produce 2,727 lbs of CO2 equivalent per year (this occurs during production, as EVs don't produce greenhouse gases as a byproduct of propulsion), while ICE cars produce 12,594 lbs of CO2 equivalent annually. 

• At least 70% of recycled EV battery materials are reused. 
• All electric vehicles produce zero tailpipe emissions. 

What are electric car batteries made of?

The key components of lithium-ion batteries that power electric cars are carbon, lithium and metal oxide. The anode, cathode, lithium ions, separator, and electrolyte are the main components of the battery, and they’re made of environmentally damaging materials. 

What minerals are used in electric car batteries?

An electric car battery contains base metals like iron, aluminium and copper, as well as precious metals like cobalt, manganese and nickel. All EV batteries also contain lithium salt and graphite. Extraction of these metals is expensive, which is a part of the reason EVs are expensive.